


i'll let you go

by raihaqyaza



Category: NU'EST, PRISTIN (Band), Produce 101 (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Humor, Light Angst, Sibling Love, Weewoo Era, dongho is an overprotective ass, mention of svt's scoups and seungkwan, minhyun too kind of, minki knows his thing, slight appearance of samuel daehwi baejin seonho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-23 00:36:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13775958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raihaqyaza/pseuds/raihaqyaza
Summary: In which Dongho gets a hold of the news that Kyulkyung was close to being sexually harassed during a fansign and he lost his chill (and brain, while he's at it).Meanwhile, Jonghyun calls Xiyeon after the news broke and the universe decides he needs some mainpain, too.





	i'll let you go

i'll let you go

by

raihaqyaza

disclaimer: they're not mine, none of them are (unfortunately), and i earn no profit whatsoever from writing this piece.

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Dongho barges into the room where Minhyun, Jonghyun, and Minki are lazing around with a loud bang. His phone is clutched tight in his whitening hand and his other hand is rested on his hip as he furiously dials a number and immediately presses the phone to his ear.

Minki, in the middle of eating chips, asks, “What got your panty in a twist?”

Minhyun closes the book he has been reading and looks up at Dongho with a frown, while Jonghyun walks pass Dongho to make sure there is no damage to the door.

Dongho’s jaw clenches as he waits for the other line to pick up. He shoves Minki, who’s laying around on one of the bottom bunks, and sits next to him in irritation, ignoring the annoyed slap he gets on the back of his head.

The door clicks open gently next, and Daehwi, Samuel, Jinyoung, and Seonho’s head show from the tiny gap, each face expressing concern. 

“We heard a loud sound from this general direction, is everything okay?” Daehwi asks, eyes searching for damage around the room, and then flinches when his eyes meet Dongho’s hostile expression.

Jonghyun opens the door for them, “Come in,” he gestures, and the four younger trainees quickly scramble in, carefully maintaining minimum 2 meters distance away from the seemingly fuming Dongho, which is hard, considering how small their dorms are.

“Did he read something bad about himself on Naver?” Samuel asks under his breath to Jonghyun, whom he decides to sit next to. It’s the best defense just in case all hell breaks loose. It’s the best strategy, since he knows from experience that Dongho would rather punch himself (or Minhyun) in the face first before he brings any harm to his leader.

Jonghyun, whose eyes are on Dongho in confusion, shakes his head slightly. “We’re just as clueless,” he mutters back.

April, the third month of their shooting period has arrived, and they are finally given a break by the producing director. The break, unlike the short ones they’ve gotten before, applies to everyone—including camera crew and other staff involved in the filming process. The majority of trainees decide to enjoy the break by visiting their homes or their company’s dorms, while some others decide to stay in the Produce 101’s dorm, like Nu’est.

“Why aren’t you going home?” Jonghyun nudges Samuel, eyes still on Dongho, who’s now biting the bottom of his lips in impatience. From the corner of his vision, he finds Daehwi eyeing Dongho’s mouth with his mouth open, and Jonghyun commits that moment in memory for further investigation later.

“Daehwi got told by Rhymer that he needs to lay low and can’t go home, so Jinyoung and I decided to stay with him while the other BNM trainees go home,” Samuel whispers.

Jonghyun nods, wincing internally in sympathy. “And Seonho?”

“Threw away his form as soon as he found out Minhyun-hyung is staying.”

Jonghyun snorts, he should have known. The sky is blue, the grass is green, and Seonho’s life (at the moment) revolves around Minhyun.

Dongho stands abruptly as the other line seems to finally pick up.

The room tenses in a split second.

“Kyulkyung-ah,” Dongho growls into the speaker of his phone.

Seven sets of eyebrows lift in sync. Jinyoung, bless his fanboy soul, immediately turns to Minhyun and mouths, ”I.O.I’s Kyulkyung-sunbaenim?”

(Samuel, who notices the exchange, vows to tease him endlessly about how Jinyoung eyes literally turned into hearts later)

Minhyun nods as he focuses intensely on Dongho.

Jonghyun shares a look with Minki, whose face is getting even more scrunched up by the second. Jonghyun shrugs, and immediately checks his phone just in case he received a text from Nayoung that might explain Dongho’s current behavior.

When he gets nothing, he shakes his head to the rest of the room.

Minki, who always hates not being on the loop, nudges Dongho, “Put her on speaker,” he hisses dangerously, leaving no room for argument.

Dongho obeys with a roll of his eyes, and calls again, “Kyulkyung-ah, where are you?”

“ _Why do you have your—_ oppa _, are you eliminated!?”_ came the response. There is a loud commotion in the background, so Jonghyun guesses she is either in the dorm or Pledis building.

Dongho ignores her question, “Who is this punk who tried to harass you at last week’s fan meeting?”

Jonghyun immediately rises from his seat to get closer to the phone, along with an equally shocked-looking Samuel. “Someone tried to harass _noona?”_ he exclaims as silently as he can to Minki, who already has his thumb working rapidly on Naver.

From the corner of his eyes, Samuel can see Daehwi, Jinyoung, and Seonho doing the same, and Minhyun shifts closer to them to read the news that show over their heads.

There’s a silence from the other line, and then a nervous laugh, “Oppa, _you really have to stop believing every rumor on the internet.”_

“Rumour, my ass,” Dongho replies harshly. “There’s a bunch of evidence posted about the incident, this guy is a _sick,”_ he spits. “Has the company killed him? Because if they haven’t I’m free until tomorrow.”

Jonghyun, despite his worries for the rest of the girls—Xiyeon, especially—can picture Kyulkyung groaning internally at Dongho’s overly protective response.

 _“If you’ve seen the videos, then you know the company took care of it,”_ Kyulkyung responds. _“They’re just lewd words,_ oppa, _please don’t blow it out of proportion.”_

Jonghyun snatches the phone from Dongho’s hand before he breaks it. Dongho shot him a look as he replies, “When’s the next fan meeting?”

“Oppa, _stop, you can’t just leave the show because one person decides to get a little aggressive.”_

“Watch me,” Dongho grits his teeth.

“ _Oh my god, no!”_ Kyulkyung’s voice rises an octave higher. _“I’m sure you get those messages all the time. I’ve seen your DMs,_ oppa, _I’ve seen the nudes—_ ”

Seonho and Jinyoung choke loudly.

 _“—and those fans from Japan, too! You know it’s bound to happen, we’re_ idols _.”_

There’s a finality in her argument, but Jonghyun knows Dongho will have a comeback to that, despite how unthoughtful it can be.

“Yeah, except I can handle those girls just fine,” Dongho bites back, and Jonghyun can tell Minki is ready to dump the rest of his chips to Dongho’s head. Jonghyun stares him head on and shakes his head slightly.

“ _Are you implying I can’t handle that guy?!”_ another octave higher, and a red warning light seems to appear out of nowhere signaling danger.

Minhyun makes a loud motion for Jonghyun to end the call from across the room before Dongho gets his ass humiliated in front of the younger trainees, but Jonghyun, again, simply shakes his head.

(He is a leader and it is his responsibility to teach his members a lesson or two when they need it. At the moment, Dongho needs a brushing up on equality just like him and Seungcheol got from Nayoung a few years ago.)

“He’s twice your weight, be reasonable,” Dongho snorts. “I’m going to talk to the CEO to make him rearrange your stylist and make you wear longer skirts or pants or something.”

Silence.

Eyes wide, Minhyun mouths at Dongho, “Are you _dumb?_ ”

Jinyoung, who Jonghyun knows adore Kyulkyung, shoots Minhyun a disapproving look, clearly siding up with Dongho on this one.

 _“Excuse me?”_ Kyulkyung’s voice is right down deadly now and Jonghyun wishes for Dongho to rest in peace. Let this moment be a lesson for Samuel, Seonho, and Jinyoung to never look down on the female population in the world.

(He knows Daehwi’s already well-taught on the issue.)

“You heard me,” Dongho rolls his eyes. “I’m gonna make them get you less revealing clothes.”

“ _Again—what?”_ Kyulkyung cut him off. Jonghyun can picture the scowl in Kyulkyung’s usually cheerful face. He’s seen that scowl plenty times every time Dongho goes too far—like now.

Dongho looks at the phone and mutters, “Where is Guanlin when you need him.” He looks around the room, and asks, “What’s _appropriate clothes_ in Chinese? I don’t think she gets it.”

There is a sound of phone dropping to the floor, followed by a loud frustrated scream a second after.

Minki, deciding he’s had enough, dumps his chips over Dongho’s head and chokes him.

Dongho splutters unrecognizable words as he tries to shove Minki away.

Minhyun, bless his soul, holds Jinyoung back from saving Dongho’s ass.

Jonghyun’s thumb hovers over the end call button, but he hears a crackle, like the sound of someone picking up the phone, and Jonghyun hears a familiar voice that he can’t believe how much he misses, “ _Tell Dongho-oppa we love him, but we love Kyulkyung-unnie more so we don’t think we’re coming to his funeral once she’s done with him.”_

Jonghyun snorts fondly, relaxes, and turns the call back to microphone mode. “I don’t think Minki will leave anything left for her to work with.”

Over the phone, Xiyeon snorts. _“She’ll find a way. Nayoung-unnie is trying to calm her down outside as we speak. Seungkwan-oppa took one look at them when he was about to go to the convenience store and turned right back in to their dance studio, door locked.”_

Jonghyun laughs and checks Minki, who’s still in the middle of his mission in assaulting Dongho. “Just make sure Kyulkyung doesn’t bring her pipa, it’s too expensive to waste on him.”

Xiyeon giggles, _“How come you’re not defending him, oppa?”_

“A creep is a creep, Junghyeon, it doesn’t have to do with what you’re wearing. You don’t see us going around disrespecting you guys, now, do you?” Jonghyun walks over to the other unoccupied bed and flops over to a more comfortable position.

 “ _I don’t know, your puberty days were pretty interesting, if I say so myself.”_

Jonghyun groans, remembering the days where Nu’est and Seventeen were literally falling over making a fool out of themselves every time someone from Pledis Girlz smiles their way.  “We’ve agreed to never bring that up, ever.”

“ _You guys were pretty hilarious.”_

“I’m sure,” Jonghyun turns, facing the wall. He goes silent for a moment. “Are… Are you okay?”

Xiyeon doesn’t immediately reply. _“It’s fine, it happens all the time, right? It’s in the package when we signed up to be an idol.”_

“Doesn’t make it right,” Jonghyun grits his teeth, imagining what he would do had Xiyeon been in Kyulkyung’s position. He knows for sure that Seungcheol will be on the news with the headline, ‘Idol Gone Mad, Murdering an Innocent Fan?’ the same night Xiyeon reports the incident.

 _“It’s just the beginning,”_ Xiyeon tells him, reminding him that it can get worse. _“And you and the rest of you oppas have to be okay with this. We can take care of ourselves.”_

Jonghyun’s heart aches, because it feels like only yesterday when Xieyon barged into their practice with Seungcheol trailing helplessly behind her, armed with a water gun each, making them stay longer than usual because the studio was wet and she refused to clean it on her own (all of them would have helped, to be honest, she has them wrapped around her tiny fingers). It also feels like only yesterday when Xiyeon demanded for them to write her name specifically plus an affectionate adjective for the ‘thanks to’ section in their Action album. He remembers the innocent delight in her face when she read ‘cute Junghyeon’, her face sparked joy and he remembered feeling so happy that his heart could burst.

“I know,” Jonghyun says in a small voice. He clears his throat, and tells her, “I’m sorry it has to happen to you guys.”

Nu’est and Seventeen are no stranger to the whispers that circulates around Pristin’s practice room, about how easy they have it because they’re men. About how they don’t have to deal with cramps while learning a particularly complicated dance moves, or about practically each and every inescapable double standard in the industry.

The boys always let it slide, because they understand that it is already hard to be a female in general Asian culture to begin with, let alone be a member of a female idol group.

Xiyeon replies gently, _“Thank you.”_

Dongho’s phone alerts him that the battery is running out, so he tells her, “Please let Kyulkyung know that Dongho will properly apologize, so don’t block his number or KaTalk account.”

“ _I’ll see what I can do,"_ Xiyeon tells him. ” _Or, just make him call me, I promise I won’t block his number.”_

Jonghyun chuckles, “His pride is already bruised enough.”

_“Eh, I’m sure Dongmul-oppa can take some more bruising.”_

Jonghyun laughs at the old nickname Kyulkyung reserved for Dongho, back when she just started learning Korean.

 _“Oh—oppa, I’m sorry, but I have to go, we need to go back to practice,”_ Xiyeon tells him with a hint of regret in her voice.

It twinges somewhere within Jonghyun to hear her say that.

_(Jonghyun was 16 when he crouches down to meet Park Junghyeon’s upset eyes. His smile was gentle as he gave her pouting lips a gentle pinch, telling her sorry, he couldn’t hang around to see her newly practiced choreography because he had to go practice)_

“Of course,” he says neutrally, because he can’t let her know how affected he is by that simple statement.

(Who is he kidding? Xiyeon is his princess and will always be able to tell.)

Xiyeon exhales, and tells him softly. “ _Good luck, oppa. You are brilliant and the world will surely come to see it soon. Things will turn out for the better.”_

Jonghyun forces a laugh, “Thanks. I’ll let you go, tell the girls good luck.”

_“I will. Tell them I say hi. Samuel, too.”_

“Roger, princess.”

Jonghyun hears her giggle, “ _Stop. Love you, bye.”_

She hangs up.

Jonghyun drops the phone next to him and sighs.

“Was that Junghyeon-noona?” a familiar voice appears next to him, and remaining in his laid position, Jonghyun turns to face Samuel.

He glances quickly at the commotion that’s still happening far away across the room. Jinyoung and Seonho are now clinging over Minhyun, one to ask for a date with Kyulkyung, another one just because, while Minki and Daehwi are teaming up to make the defeated Kang Dongho’s live even more miserable, though mostly Minki, because Daehwi’s crush might leak if he opens his mouth even just for a second.

“Yeah,” Jonghyun replies. “She said hi.”

Samuel hums his acknowledgement. “I miss them,” he says absentmindedly.

“She’s grown into a beautiful young lady, that one,” Jonghyun chuckles, “She used to be so tiny, like you.”

Samuel smiles. There is pain in his eyes that doesn’t fit his age, but there is also perseverance and determination, which Jonghyun knows will lead him to success, sooner or later. “And now here I am, standing up on my own two feet.”

“You will do well, Muel-ah,” Jonghyun pulls him to cuddle in the tiny bunk.

Samuel shifts to make himself comfortable. He places his arm around Jonghyun’s waist and leans on his chest. “She will, too,” he mutters. “If you can watch me fight my own battle, you can watch her do the same.”

And Jonghyun thinks that’s exactly the problem. None of them should fight any battle in such young age. Not Samuel, not Xiyeon, none of the idols in this program who have barely graduated secondary school.

 “I’m sure they’re grateful, hyung. I am too, but we’ll be okay,” Samuel promises, and Jonghyun doesn’t ask who ‘we’ entails. He doesn’t think he needs to, he understands.

(He understands, because he was at their age when he worked day and night for the debut that he’d been promised with. He was their age when fans started to get a little bit too handsy and he had to take matters in his own hands. He was their age, once.)

“Okay,” Jonghyun says.

He catches Dongho’s gaze, who’s leaning back against the wall in melancholy. Jonghyun offers him a smile, offers him comfort.

In the slight curve on the corner of his lips, he tells Dongho that they need to let go, together.

In Dongho’s half-hearted, dejected smirk, Jonghyun finds that the vocalist is well on his way, as much as it hurts.

That’s okay, he thinks. Because they're not children anymore, and they need them to understand, and he wants to, for them. 

 

* * *

 

In the morning, as Kyulkyung tears Dongho’s ear off in rapid Chinese through the phone, Jonghyun calls Xiyeon.

“ _It’s 7 in the morning,”_ comes a grumpy voice.

Jonghyun laughs, “I need to return my phone soon, so I thought I should tell you something before the staff takes them away. You hung up yesterday before I get to say this.”

_“What?”_

“Good luck for your upcoming schedule,” Jonghyun grins.

_“You woke me up at 7 AM just to say that?”_

Jonghyun can imagine her grumpy, sleepy, tired expression and smiles, imagining weave of dark hair against soft pillows.

He takes a deep breath.

“I’ll let you go, then.”

There, he thinks. He’s told her.

“ _Oh.”_ Jonghyun hears, raspy and aware. There’s a sound of throat clearing, and maybe it came from her, who finally understood the true message he was trying to deliver, but maybe it’s also from him, who has a hard time thinking of having to let go.

“ _Oppa—yeah, thank you.”_

He can hear her voice wavers, and it takes a lot out of him to swallow back the lump in his throat.

“I love you,” he tells her, sincere and final. “Work hard.”

 Jonghyun hears her sniffles and can’t help the grin that threatens to make its way to his face.

_“Love you too, oppa, I will.”_

He hangs up, collects the phone to the staff, and feels a weight lifts off of his chest. He joins his members in one of the open practice room, and smiles at the sight that welcomes him. There they are, jamming to their old choreography, making tweaks and twists to fill the hole where Aron is supposed to be.

They will be okay on their own, Samuel told him, for he has been—and still is, in the girls’ position, fighting hard for their dreams.

(They will be okay on their own, Jonghyun believes, for he’s seen them grow, and the faith that settles in his chest is there to stay.)

**Author's Note:**

> This is around the time after the third episode of PD101 airs (April 21st), which is after the news broke in the internet (April 17th), which means it's around the time Pristin just debuted and were promoting Wee Woo.
> 
> What's canon in this story:  
> 1\. Dongmul (Animal in Korean) used to be Kyulkyung's nickname for Dongho when her Korean wasn't as good as now  
> 2\. Nu'est wrote 'cute Junghyeon' in their Action album  
> 3\. Any Pristin/Nu'est interactions can be found on twitter in this thread https://twitter.com/protectnuest/status/852031705451962369  
> 4\. I don't know how close Jonghyun and Xiyeon are today since there's barely any pledis interactions in award shows (thx pledis), but i'm assuming since they knew her since she was still very young (she's trained in pledis for 9 years), they must be close enough.  
> 4\. Kyulkyung's incident is real, look it up  
> 5\. Jinyoung's crush for Kyulkyung's also real, you can find evidence online


End file.
